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[SPOTV News = Park Seung-hwan] Tarik Skubal (Detroit Tigers), a two-time American League Cy Young Award winner, is increasingly likely to be traded, according to reports.
John Heyman of the New York Post reported on the 22nd (Korean time) that interest in trading Skubal is growing.
Detroit selected Skubal with the 255th overall pick in the ninth round of the 2018 MLB Draft, and he made his major-league debut in 2020. He developed steadily each season, and in 2024 he started 31 games, tossed 192 innings, struck out 228 batters and went 18-4 with a 2.39 ERA — leading the league in four pitching categories and taking home the Cy Young Award.
That performance didn’t fade. Last season he again made 31 starts, threw 195 1/3 innings, recorded 241 strikeouts and finished 13-6 with a 2.21 ERA, earning a second straight Cy Young. Since then, trade rumors have followed him.
The key issue is that Skubal will be a free agent after the 2026 season, and talks on an extension with Detroit have not progressed. A salary dispute with the club this offseason only increased speculation that he could be wearing a different uniform before this year’s trade deadline.
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An unexpected development cropped up recently: after opening the season 3-2 with a 2.70 ERA across seven starts, Skubal underwent surgery to remove loose bodies from his left elbow.
That operation, however, hasn’t become a major setback. The team used a new nanoscope technique. Skubal was back to playing catch just one week after the procedure and has since progressed to bullpen sessions.
Removing loose bodies typically requires about two to three months before a pitcher returns. Even if the newer approach only shortens recovery by roughly a month, Skubal’s quick progress has been notable. Against that backdrop, reports indicate a midseason trade remains a real possibility.
Heyman listed four reasons the trade market is heating up: first, Detroit has lost 14 of its last 16 games and has dropped to last place, sitting five games back in the wild-card chase. Second, the Tigers currently have five starting pitchers on the injured list. Third, Skubal is recovering smoothly from elbow arthroscopy. Fourth, an extension between Detroit and Skubal is widely considered unlikely.
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Trade chatter around Skubal has been constant since his first Cy Young. The Los Angeles Dodgers — one of the few clubs with the payroll flexibility to pursue an elite starter — often come up as a likely landing spot. Detroit has resisted trading him so far, but if the team drifts further from postseason contention, the front office may prefer to acquire prospects and part ways with Skubal sooner rather than later.
What’s next for Skubal? If Detroit’s results don’t improve and he continues to pitch at the high level he showed over the past two seasons after returning from surgery, his trade value will only climb.
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